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Wednesday, 13 November 2013

Widely tipped as being THE corset to own, the best selling Morticia underbust corset by What Katie Did has been firmly wedged on my wish list for quite some time now. With it's gored hips and extreme wasp waist, the Morticia is recommended for those who possess a 'vintage' hourglass figure with a large difference between the waist and hip measurements, preferably 10 inches or more.

A few months ago I came across one on eBay for £100, £59 below the RRP, so I went ahead and bought it. I went for the 22" as my 25" waist sits awkwardly between sizes 20" and 22". Sadly, when it arrived, it was too big and the gap at the back of the corset was fully closed, offering no potential for waist training or reduction. This was a very sad day for me because as soon as I'd unwrapped the pretty peach corset, I'd fallen in love with it instantly.

As you can see from the photos, the colour married beautifully with my icy blue Masquerade Rhea (Bravissimo exclusive colour way, no longer available) set. Despite the corset being too big, I still felt it had given me some shape at least, but I couldn't justify spending that amount of money on something that wasn't absolutely perfect.

I continued to search eBay on at least a weekly basis for a Morticia in a 20", then lo and behold, last week, there she was! Admittedly not in the beautiful peach of my previous purchase nor the super practical black I coveted, but in white satin. I was willing to overlook the Colorado on account of the price, just £60! The seller was only asking this amount because it was being sold without laces, something I managed to pick up for £4 from another eBay seller. So for the grand total of £70 including postage and laces, I became the very happy and proud owner of a brand new sparkling white Morticia!

As soon as she arrived, I unwrapped her; the seller had placed her in silver tissue paper inside a leopard print carrier bag, which added to the enjoyment of purchasing such an item of luxury. I took my laces and set to work with the aid of thisYouTube video to help me properly lace up my new baby. With a little tugging and adjustment, she was on, and boy was I impressed! Instant reduction, instant Jessica Rabbit curves! BAM!

Of course, corseting with an off-the-shelf number can come with its problems, and for me it was a slight discomfort of my floating ribs (the very bottom set). However, I'm pretty certain that given proper waist training I could overcome this quite easily. My problem is that I want it all and now, so in the photo I'd laced it up as tight as I could to see what kind of reduction I could gain. I'm pretty sure you'll agree that it's rather impressive! Here's the back;

You can really feel the quality of the Morticia, and the structure is quite a feat of engineering. Somehow the Morticia has that perfect balance between hardcore structuring and slightly pliable comfort. Perfection!

I'm wearing Morticia with Curvy Kate's Tease Me set, available in a variety of colours from Brastop.

I adore the figure corsets give me and I'm more than tempted to give waist training a try, but for now I'm happy to just get my Morticia out whenever I need a reminder of exactly how awesome I can look with a little help!

Friday, 25 October 2013

So enthused was I on seeing Lady V London's new collection that I felt the need to write a post on them!

Relatively new to them is the gorgeous Roxie Rocks dress, with 3/4 sleeved mock wrap top section and swing skirt, it's ideal for all those Christmas parties you're all thinking about at this time of the year. It comes in red with black trim, black with red trim, purple with white trim and teal with white trim. I will say that I've tried this dress (but unfortunately didn't photograph myself in it) and was really disappointed with the sizing ON ME. It was just too big in the shoulders, a problem I often have with dresses and shirts on account of my petite frame. Roxie Rocks costs £40 and comes in sizes 8-22 and is made from a luxurious stretch satin type fabric.

Another new addition is the HD Swing Dress, which is the same as the previous range of swing dresses only it has the added detail of a contrast trim, which I'm a total sucker for! My favourite is the white with black polka dot, I'd wear it with red accessories as always. Priced at £45, the HD Swing Dress comes in a range of fabrics in sizes 8-22 and come with a matching headband too!

Next up, the delicious Dolly Darling. In sizes 8-26/28 and 5 different colours with contrasting trim and waist bow, you can turn yourself into a 50's pin up for just £45! My personal favourite is the Cobalt Blue, it's so pretty!

For those of you who prefer a less revealing neckline, how about Lady V's range of pretty Day Dresses? I LOVE the folded neckline and v-neck back. They cost just £30 and come in sizes 8-20 in a satisfying range of colours and prints.

Saving the best until last, Behold the AMAZING Isabella Dress! Drooooool...Erm, yes, I'm a sucker for polka dots AND red AND bows, and this particular dress has it all! It's sweetheart neckline and swing skirt are very similar to another favourite of mine, the Pinup Girl Clothing Heidi, so it's nice to have a cheaper alternative. Isabella is offered with 1/2 sleeves in purple (below), blue and black, and cap sleeves in Mocha polka dot, black with pink trim and black/white polka dot with red trim, comes in sizes 8-20/22 and costs £40.

My only bugbear is that looking at the measurements, none of the Lady V dresses will fit me without alteration as the waist measurements generally come up between 1 and 3 inches bigger than my own. For this I'm GUTTED, but still very tempted to get this Isabella and have it altered.

For a limited time only (and I have no idea how long the offer is on) you can get a generous 15% off your entire order with Lady V London using the discount code WOW15 at checkout. GO!

Friday, 26 July 2013

It's no surprise that I love my curves, and anything to enhance them is a thumbs up in my book. The most extreme curve enhancer out there has to be the corset. Corsets have been around for several centuries, eventually spawning the bras that we know and love today, but still, they remain a staple in extreme shapewear.

It was back in 2005 when I first tried a corset, albeit a plastic boned one, offering little support but even so I was impressed with the way it flattered my curves. My collection grew and I found myself with 8-9 plastic boned corsets, dreaming of the day I could afford a 'proper' steel boned corset. As you can see from the photo, I still had to wear a bra to support the 'girls' or the corset would have collapsed.

Then one day I stumbled upon an online shop called corsets-uk, selling actually, proper steel boned corsets for a lot less than the £150+ was expecting to pay! I'm like a kid in a candy store when I find something new that I want, so I didn't stop at just one corset, I ended up with at least 10, all from Corsets-UK, but most of which don't fit nowadays sadly. With their fantastic Corset Of The Day (COTD) offers via their Facebook page you can often grab some real bargains. Most of mine I picked up for around the £30-£40 mark, like this awesome cherry patterned longline corset below.

My corset buying hit a lull until last year when I spotted this AMAZING Union Jack corset (£72 at the time of writing) just in time for the Queen's Jubilee and Olympic celebrations. I'm a sucker for Union Jacks since 1997 when Geri Halliwell stormed the Brits with that famous Union Jack dress. Despite measuring up as a 26" waist at the time, meaning I should have ordered a 22" corset, I chose a 24" for that bit of extra boob room. As much as I adore this corset, it just doesn't fit my curves as well as I'd like, particularly not now I've lost another inch from my waistline. I could cry! Still, look, it's not completely unwearable but it won't be cinching in my waist.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I tweeted a photo of me in said Union Jack corset to Corsets-UK. I was then contacted by one their lovely 'people' to ask if I'd like to review a corset of my choosing. As you can imagine, being a customer of theirs I was honoured and positively jumped at the chance! I'd recently drooled over FullerFigureFullerBust's review of Corsets-UK's Highly Curvaceous overbust corset, made for ladies such as Georgina and myself with more 'extreme' hourglass figures, meaning a difference of around 10" or more between waist and bust measurements.

Ideally I wanted a classic black overbust corset but unfortunately it was out of stock so I channelled my inner Jessica Rabbit and chose this red with black pleat trim overbust corset priced at £60 instead in a 20". I was so excited when it arrived that I tore open the packaging, laced myself into it and got snapping....at work! So for continuity and amusement I thought it would only be fair of me to use those very photos.

As you can see, the corset cinches me in perfectly and compared to the Union Jack you'll see there's extra room in the bust and hips, fitting me much better and in turn creating a cleaner silhouette. I just love the way it skims over my hips and actually FITS them, rather than creating a muffin...bottom (?) underneath like corsets without this amount of flaring normally would. Great stuff!

It's not THE perfect fit and I do have a few minor gripes with this corset. It doesn't quite push my boobs forward as much as I'd like, but I think that's more to do with my soft boobs rather than the corset. I'm almost certain this could be remedied by wearing either a strapless bra or maybe even some strategically placed 'chicken fillets'. The other issue is again probably down to my body rather than the corset, in that it feels slightly uncomfortable on my bottom ribs. As I said though, this is probably down to my body, since I'm only 5'2" and something that could only be fixed by having a bespoke corset made to my exact measurements. My last little gripe is that I'd have preferred it to have cord lacing rather than ribbon, but I can change that very easily of course.

I say with with a sinking heart and a sigh deep in my chest, but Corsets-UK have decided not to replenish stocks of their Highly Curvaceous range, so if they have your size in stock (4-5" smaller than your actual waist measurement) then BUY before they sell out! A little tip when shopping, you'll get more results by typing "GE" in the search box, but not all are the curvaceous type. You should be able to tell the difference very easily though.

Overall I'm delighted to have found a relatively problem free corset for my awkwardly short and curvy body! Since I've never shopped elsewhere for my corsets, I can't compare to any other companies, but I'm more than happy with Corsets-UK so I've never felt the need to shop around. The corset has inspired me to finally buy that iconic red sequined floor length dress a la Jessica Rabbit as I promised myself I would two years ago! Here's a sneak peek until my dress gets here...

Are any of you corset wearers? If not, would you consider wearing one?

Wednesday, 10 July 2013

A few weeks ago Georgina of fullerfigurefullerbust tweeted that she'd tried on a crop top and since then I was curious about how they would look on me. As I was browsing in Primark one lunch hour, I saw a few I quite fancied and decided to give them a try just to see how they'd look.

I chose to team the crop tops up with a green jersey midi skirt, costing just £5. The skirt is available in red, blue, green and black. Primark didn't any have any in my usual skirt size 8 so the one in the photos is a size 10. I'm not overly keen with the midi length on me, but apparently it's THE length to wear so I guess I can live with it.

Unfortunately Primark don't have an online shop, although ASOS ave a small selection available.

First up, a colourful Aztec print top in a size 6. Costing £6 (I think it was?) it's a cheap and easy way to work this seasons daring trend. The problem I had with this top is that besides making me look ALL boob, you could clearly see my bra straps.

You should all know by now that I'm a complete sucker for anything polka dot, so this black and white crop top immediately caught my eye. Costing £4, it's so tempting! Again, it makes me look very busty, but I kind of like how I look in this outfit and may well end up buying it. At just £9 fr both the top and skirt, I think I can justify it. My only issue is that the outfit might be a bit too young for me with me turning 32 in a month's time.

So, my curvy readers, what do you think? Would you dare to bare your midriff this summer for this latest fashion trend or is it all a bit too much for you? Would you avoid wearing fashions you know look good on you because you feel you're too old for them?

Wednesday, 3 July 2013

I wouldn't normally write about a shop or brand that doesn't fit me as I can't give an accurate review in terms of fit and comfort, but this week I was blown away by what my favourite high street store, Primark has to offer in their lingerie department. Here are my top picks;

This seasons loud and proud trend for neons isn't just limited to clothes, as Primark prove with this eye catching longline. This could be also worn as a crop top, again bang on trend. In sizes 32AA, 32-34A, 34-36B, C and D, and 34DD. The set costs just £8 so why not treat yourself to something fun?

Sticking with the neon trend, how about this moulded leopard trim longline bra in bright orange? Again, it comes with matching pants/thong/shorts and costs £5 in sizes 32AA, 32-34A, 32-36B, 34-36C-D.

If cute prints are more your thing, how about this geek print set in sizes 32AA, 32-32A, 32-36B, 34-36C-DD for only £4! I absolutely love this print, it's so fun! This pink plunge bra also features a racer back option, useful for summer. My only criticism about this bra is that it's made from a jersey fabric which tends to stick to clothes and flattens my breasts. Of course, this might not happen to everyone.

Aside from the fun prints and colours Primark also have a huge offering of stunning luxury styles made from faux silks and lace. Their stock appears to be of a decent enough quality, but without testing them, I can't confirm that they will last as well as more expensive specialist lingerie brands.

There are LOADS of designs to choose from, and prices at around £7 for the bra and £3 for the briefs of shorts, here are a few of my favourites;

Most of the above styles start at a 34A and go up to (but not inclusive) a 38DD, so as I said at the start, nothing will fit me, but if you're lucky enough to be of a high street bra size, then give them a try!

What do you think of Primark's lingerie range? Have you tried it for yourself?

Thursday, 20 June 2013

I know I'm a bit late on the uptake here, but since I've only just managed to get myself into a Bravissimo store, I hope you'll forgive me!

Tutti Rouge launched just a few months ago after much hype on their facebook page and at trade shows with gorgeous designs like this:

Tutti's first release was the Liliana. At £26 (£14 for the shorts, £12 for the thong) it's in the lower price range of fuller bust bras, but has all the details and design you'd expect from an established brand. Liliana is a bright coral-pink padded bra with a mesh upper section to the cups. It's described as a balcony bra and has fully adjustable straps and is available in sizes 28-38D-J.

I love the little details that Tutti Rouge add to their bras, such as the little heart shaped adjusters and their brand name embossed into the back fastener. Both of these photos were taken from Tutti Rouge's facebook page.

As for the fit, sadly for me it's not as favourable as the aesthetics of the bra. I tried the Liliana in a 28GG but ideally needed a 28H. Aside from that, the design is quite similar to Curvy Kate bras such as the Princess, Lotte and Angel in that it's quite east/westy and lacks forward projection, which is fine if you like that sort of thing, but I'm not a fan. In the interest of balance, here are two positive reviews from Georgina at Fuller Figure Fuller Bust and Cheryl from Invest In Your Chest Here's the bra on me;

The second release from Tutti Rouge was the Betty, £32 (shorts £16) a pretty floral padded half cup with oodles of lace trimming. Betty is available in sizes 28-38 DD-HH. Again, the bra features the heart shaped adjusters and embossed fastener at the back, and again, as much as it pains me to say it, but unfortunately for me it didn't work.

I tried the Betty in a 28H and it had a very flattening effect on me. The lack of fully adjustable straps also didn't do me any favours, resulting in no support or shape whatsoever and it also had an east/west effect on me. Again, in the interest of balance, here are two more reviews from The Style Rawr and The Lingerie Addict.

Will you be trying Tutti Rouge? Or have you already tried them, and what did you think?

My recent Manchester trip meant another visit to full bust specialists, Bravissimo to try some of their new summer stock. I was somewhat spoilt for choice as there were so many pretty colours and patterns everywhere I looked.

The bra I was most looking forward to trying was the Freya Deco in Flamingo print, £32. I ADORE the kitsch flamingo print and the moulded cup Deco is my go-to bra. I tried this in a 28GG, what I thought to be my 'true' size, but it was unfortunately too small in the cup by one cup size. The band was okay, not too tight and not too loose but a little more loose than a 'true' 28 band. I might need to buy this in a sister size as I love it so much! The Deco Flamingo is available in size 28 DD-GG, 30-36 D-GG and 3 D-G. Matching shorts and briefs are £12.

Next I tried the Cleo Maddie, £26. I chose this moulded bra to try as it looked like a good substitute for the Freya Deco. Again in a 28GG, and again too small in the cup. The band is nice and firm too, much more true to size than the Deco. I don't normally have any luck with Cleo bras, but this one impressed me enough to buy it in a 28H without even trying it on first! I got the matching shorts £14.50 in a size 14 which are exactly the same as a Freya Deco short in a Large. The fit is similar to the Smoothie bra by Curvy Kate in that it's not a mega cleavagey plunge like the Deco but more of a low centred balcony. It has a higher central gore, which means it encases my breasts better than a Deco, meaning no spillage towards the centre of the cups. I do wish I could find a happy medium. The only negative point I have to say on this bra is that the fully adjustable straps are quite thin. I've not worn it yet so I'll have to see how that pans out when I do.

Possibly the prettiest I tried was the Retro Bloom by Bravissimo, £32. The colour combination of yellow, blue, lilac, coral and red trim are perfect together. The bra is a lightly padded balcony with fully adjustable straps. I had no fitting issues with this in a 28H, and the shorts in a M (£16), but I didn't buy this as I was only really looking for a moulded everyday set. It's a really lovely set and I hope to see more like this from Bravissimo in the future. Pease excuse the red marks across my stomach where my tights has been sitting!

Another hotly anticipated set for me was the Hello Dolly set by Freya. £32 for the bra, £12 for the shorts. I LOVE the Russian doll print and folk-inspired trim in teal, red and mustard. This is a 28GG and I thought it seemed a bit large in the cups when I first put it on, but once I'd 'swept and scooped' I filled it out nicely. The shorts I tried were a Medium, but would have been better in a Large. It's a real shame this bra isn't padded, or better still, a Deco, as I don't wear unpadded bras, so again I chose not to buy this one. If you are a fan of unpadded bras and cute prints, then don't miss out on Hello Dolly!

Again, excuse the red marks across my stomach!

I also tried on two bras from the newest fuller bust brand, Tutti Rouge, but I'll be writing a separate post on them shortly.

Sunday, 9 June 2013

You all know by now that I'm short and curvy, so it probably doesn't shock you to learn that I struggle to find tights that fit me properly. I have a drawer overflowing with tights from over the years, from tartan to polka dot, floral to plain, fishnet to heart print. Most of them I buy from everyones favourite high street store of cheapness, Primark, for the measly sum of £3.50 at the most. I love tights but I can rarely be bothered to find an outfit worthy of showcasing the more interesting ones to their full potential, not to mention the effort of wearing heels, which I always like to do with tights. When I do wear them though, I have disasters...

Yes, on more than one occasion I've completely wrecked my tights with the size of my behind, ending up looking as though I'd been pawed at by a tiger. Embarrassing, no?

I recently split my tights AGAIN, and was kindly sent four pairs by Pamela Mann, a hosiery company I've long admired for their on-trend fashion tights and classic staples. They said I could choose a few pairs, but not wanting to appear greedy, I chose two; black and white polka dot (£8.99) and small dogtooth print (£8.49), again in black and white. To my sheer joy (see what I did there?), a representative from Pamela Mann sent me a message to say she'd thrown in another two pairs, these sheer dotty tights in black and nude & black (£8.99 per pair). Pamela Mann tights are mostly 'one size' from 8-14 rather than Primark's sizing of s/m m/l so I was reluctant that they'd work for me. There are a number of styles that go right up to a size 32, so be sure to check them out if you are plus sized.

With the weather being so random of late, I've only just managed to try these tights out. We're currently having a warm spell, meaning I'm able to wear sheer tights rather than my usual trousers or thick, fleece-lined tights. Last week was a bit too hot for the polka dot and dogtooth tights, so I chose the sheer dotty ones instead, and managed to wear both pairs on consecutive days.

The first thing I noticed about the black pair was that they're a little long in the leg on me. I'm not sure if this is something to do with the black dye/fabric but the nude ones are perfect. What I really love about them is that they come up really high on my waist, helping guard against those dreaded lumps and bumps I normally get when wearing tights. I think this is down to the 'one size' rule, something I assumed would work against me. I haven't managed to snag the tights yet, which is quite a feat for me since I'm a little clumsy and certainly don't take as much care and time as I should whilst pulling my tights up, particularly first thing in the morning! I did catch my heel on my tights once and caught them with the corner of some sharp, plastic packaging in my Tesco carrier bag, but they miraculously didn't ladder.

The polka dot and dogtooth print tights are more 'dense' than the sheer tights so are better for those days when it's not quite so hot outside, or for me, high summer at work inside this freezing building! Again, they are a smidge too long for me but not so much to stop me buying more.

All in all, I LOVE Pamela Mann tights. They really push the boat out with new designs and don't limit themselves to a few colours in quite a few designs; they make the ENTIRE RAINBOW!! Take a look for yourself!